causing offence to someone shouldnt be grounds for arrest.
While I'm not defending what this woman said, I think freedom of speech is more important.
(, Wed 2 Mar 2011, 14:49, Share, Reply)
It's not about freedom of speech though.
She spoke entirely in onomatopoeia, and didn't really say anything.
Offence and harassment are different things (admittedly with a blurry boundary)
If she politely explained to him why she believed he deserved to be shot in the face, then fair enough. As it was, she obviously just wanted to harass a policeman and believed (incorrectly) that she was above the law in doing so.
Do you think people should have the right to shout abuse at you when you are walking down the street in the name of "freedom of speech"?
Do you think verbal bulling in the workplace is acceptable?
(
monkeon schmonkeon, Wed 2 Mar 2011, 14:55,
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^this
explains it better than I ever could
(
h3donist tryin' to play me out as if my name is Sega.., Wed 2 Mar 2011, 15:04,
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It's certainly easier to read than the legal-speak in the Public Order Act, anyway.
(, Wed 2 Mar 2011, 15:09, Share, Reply)
I suppose it comes down to semantics
Harrassment or bullying - to me at least - implies a sustained campaign of abuse which was clearly not the case here.
I'd also say that people dont generally shout abuse at me in the street. Not because it's illegal, I suspect, but because they share a common humanity which this woman obviously does not.
(, Wed 2 Mar 2011, 15:24, Share, Reply)